How to Trigger In App Surveys Based on User Behavior in Survicate

If you want to collect honest feedback from real users—without annoying them at random—showing in-app surveys based on what people actually do makes way more sense than blasting everyone. This guide is for folks who want to use Survicate to trigger surveys when, and only when, they matter.

Maybe you want to ask users why they’re bailing on checkout. Or get insights from people right after they use a new feature. You don’t want to interrupt everyone, and you don’t want to guess. Let’s walk through how to set up targeted, behavior-based in-app surveys in Survicate. We'll talk about what works, what to avoid, and how to keep your users from hating you.

Why Trigger Surveys Based on User Behavior?

Before we get into the nuts and bolts, let's be clear: most people ignore surveys. Especially if they're irrelevant, or show up at the worst time. Triggering surveys based on what users actually do means:

  • You catch people when their feedback is fresh.
  • You only ask the right people, not your entire user base.
  • You get better data, with less annoyance.

In other words, it’s about respect—and better results.

Step 1: Get Clear on What You Actually Want to Learn

Don't start by setting up triggers or writing questions. First, figure out what you really want to know, and who you want to hear from. Some classic scenarios:

  • Feature launches: Ask users what they think after trying something new.
  • Churn risk: Ask users who seem to be dropping off why they’re leaving.
  • Onboarding: See if new users are getting stuck or confused.
  • Checkout or conversion friction: Catch folks who abandon carts or forms.

Pro tip: If you’re just surveying everyone, you’re not using triggers right. Get specific.

Step 2: Map Your Key User Behaviors

Now, translate your research goals into specific actions users take in your app. Examples:

  • Visited page X (e.g., pricing, settings, feature dashboard)
  • Clicked a certain button (e.g., "Export," "Invite Teammate")
  • Completed or didn’t complete an action (e.g., finished onboarding, didn’t upgrade plan after trial)
  • Spent X minutes on a page
  • Triggered an error or reached a dead end

You’ll need to know what events you can track. Don’t assume your analytics or product team has already set these up—double check.

Step 3: Make Sure Event Tracking Is Set Up Correctly

Survicate can trigger in-app surveys based on events you send to it. That means you need to be capturing the right events, with the right data.

Here’s how this usually works:

  1. Set up Survicate’s web SDK or integration: You need to install Survicate’s code snippet in your app. If it’s not there, nothing else works.
  2. Send custom events: Use Survicate’s API to send events when users do things you care about (like "completed_onboarding" or "abandoned_checkout").
  3. Test, test, test: Fire events manually and make sure Survicate is receiving them.

Don’t skip this: If your events are flaky or mislabeled, your surveys will show up at the wrong time—or not at all. If you’re not technical, get help from someone who owns your analytics or frontend code.

Step 4: Build Your Survey in Survicate

Now you’re ready to create your actual survey. A few tips:

  • Keep it short: One or two questions is usually enough. Nobody wants a pop-up quiz.
  • Be specific: Tie your questions to the action the user just took.
  • Use plain language: Skip jargon. Just ask what you really want to know.

Inside Survicate, choose “In-app survey,” pick your format (e.g., NPS, single choice, open text), and write your questions.

What works: Asking for quick feedback right after the relevant action (“What’s missing from our new dashboard?” or “Was there anything that almost stopped you from checking out?”)

What doesn’t: Generic questions (“How do you like our app?”) or long forms. These get ignored.

Step 5: Set Up Survey Triggers Based on User Behavior

This is the real meat and potatoes—telling Survicate when to show your survey.

  1. Go to Targeting Settings: Every Survicate in-app survey has a targeting section.
  2. Set Up Event-Based Triggers: Choose “Show when a custom event is received.” Pick the event you want (e.g., "feature_used", "checkout_abandoned").
  3. Add Conditions: You can narrow it down with additional filters:
    • User properties (e.g., plan type, location)
    • Frequency (e.g., only show once per user)
    • URL or page conditions

Example: Only show the “Why did you leave?” survey to users who triggered “abandoned_checkout” and are on a paid plan.

  1. Preview: Use Survicate’s preview tools to double-check you’re not blasting everyone by accident.

Pro tip: Start with fewer triggers and expand as you see what’s working. It’s easy to overcomplicate things.

Step 6: Test Everything Before Going Live

Don’t trust that it’ll “just work.” Test your setup:

  • Trigger the event yourself and make sure the survey appears.
  • Try as different user types (new, returning, paid, etc.).
  • Check that surveys don’t show up too often (once per session/day is usually enough).

What to ignore: Survicate’s default targeting is decent, but don’t rely on it alone. Always check real user flows.

Step 7: Launch, Monitor, and Adjust

Once live, keep an eye on:

  • Response rates: Are people answering, or closing the survey immediately?
  • When/where it appears: Use session replays or analytics to see if timing feels right.
  • Who’s seeing it: Make sure you’re not missing your target segment, or blasting the wrong users.

Don’t be afraid to:

  • Tweak your triggers (too broad? too narrow?)
  • Change survey language if responses are confusing
  • Pause a survey if it’s annoying users (watch for complaints or drops in usage)

Pro tip: You’ll rarely get it perfect on the first try. That’s normal.

What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore

What Works

  • Asking at the right moment: Immediately after the relevant action.
  • Short, focused questions: One or two, max.
  • Personalization: Referencing the user’s actual behavior (e.g., “We noticed you tried X…”).

What Doesn’t

  • Interrupting core workflows: Don’t block people in the middle of something important.
  • Surveying everyone: Blanket surveys annoy more than they help.
  • Too many triggers: If users see surveys all the time, they’ll ignore them—or worse, get mad.

What to Ignore

  • Default templates: These are a starting point, but almost never fit your exact use case.
  • Overly complex logic: If you need a flowchart to explain when your survey fires, you’re probably overthinking it.

Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast

The real power of behavior-based in-app surveys is showing up at the right time, for the right people. Don’t stress about getting it perfect up front. Start simple: pick one user action, ask one question, watch what happens, and adjust from there.

When in doubt, err on the side of showing fewer surveys to fewer people. Your users (and your data quality) will thank you.

Now, go set up that first behavior-based survey. See what you get. Keep what works, ditch what doesn’t, and keep tweaking. That’s how you get real, useful feedback—without annoying anyone.